Postdoc: Heat-Pipe Thermal-Fluid Systems for Nuclear

Search Jobs - INL Professional Careers; Idaho Falls (ID); On-site; USD 95,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

Idaho National Laboratory invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Mechanical/Nuclear Engineering or related fields to advance next-generation heat-pipe delivery and thermal management. The role includes thermal-fluid modeling, experiments, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams at the REC facilities with a 9x80 schedule in-town.

The candidate will write manuscripts, present results at national/international conferences, and contribute to DOE microreactor and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. completed within the past five years in mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated background in heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, or thermal-fluid systems.
• Experience modeling or experimentally evaluating heat pipes, liquid-metal systems, or other two-phase heat-transfer devices.
• Ability to develop, execute, and document thermal-fluid analyses using tools such as Python, MATLAB, CFD software, or system-level modeling codes.
• Experience designing experiments, selecting instrumentation, analyzing data, and quantifying measurement uncertainty.
• Familiarity with alkali-metal handling, high-temperature testing, vacuum systems, or inert-atmosphere operations.
• Ability to safely conduct laboratory work.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills, including preparation of peer-reviewed publications and technical reports.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Must meet applicable laboratory employment, security, and site-access requirements.

Responsibilities

• Write scientific manuscripts for journal publication and present research results at conferences and meetings.
• Develop experiments, validate computational models, and analyze heat-pipe performance.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to advance heat-pipe systems for nuclear energy applications.
• Interpret test data and document findings to support DOE programs.

Skills

heat transfer

thermodynamics

fluid mechanics

thermal-fluid systems

Python

MATLAB

CFD software

data analysis

technical writing

experimental design

uncertainty analysis

independent work

team collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in mechanical/nuclear/chemical engineering, materials science, or related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB

CFD software

system-level modeling codes

Job description

Idaho National Laboratory invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Mechanical/Nuclear Engineering or related fields to advance next-generation heat-pipe delivery and thermal management. The role includes thermal-fluid modeling, experiments, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams at the REC facilities with a 9x80 schedule in-town.

The candidate will write manuscripts, present results at national/international conferences, and contribute to DOE microreactor and